Application October 11, 1951, Serial No. 250,861 Claims. (Cl. 128--264) The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in manually manipulatable dispensing guns for individual small articles and has more particular reference to a dispensing gun which is especially, though not necessarily, particularly well adapted for use by veterinarians and others who are called upon in dealing with baby pigs, to administer medicine in tablet form.

It is a matter of common knowledge, among hog raisers, that anemia in new born pigsis indeed a serious and constantly existing problem, one which is not an easy matter to cope with. Marked losses in suckling pigs up to six weeks of age are observed year in and out and, traceable to anemia, anemie pigs are more susceptible to infections of many kinds and they therefore do not develope satisfactorily. The mortality rate in baby pigs may be materially reduced, however,

=by administration of iron, copper and cobalt in tablet form. The procedure of expeditiously using tablets is fraught with inconveniences and time consuming difficulties. It is therefore the principal object of the present invention to provide a feasible, structurally simple and practical tablet containing and dispensing gun.

Many hog raisers seek to minimize the number of anemic baby pigs by giving them a solution of iron, copper and cobalt by way of the mouth and this is a daily task. Others resort to painting the udder of the sows several times daily and by supplying fresh sod to pigs daily. Despite these precautions these commonly accepted methods have proved insuiiicient especially in that assistants are scarce and farmers, who are often called upon to do the work, do not find time tc carry out these practices with requisite and timely regularity. i

'At this time tablets, containing reduced iron, copper sulfate and cobalt sulfate are ion the market and it is the general consensus of recognized authorities that these tablets willsupply enough iron, copper and cobalt to a baby pig for one week and if given one tablet a week the hemoglobin of the blood will remain at its proper level. However, and as stated, the administration of tablets to young pigs is not 'without diiculties. Consequently, the invention herein has to do with the stated gun which is especially designed to accommodate one such table and a cartridge for I a supply of twenty more or less duplicateA tablets. Constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention, the gun herein under advisement will enable a veterinarian, hog raiser or farmer to administer the tablets in a reliable and unhampered manner.y The gun being designed so that one man can do the job alone, the pig being handled in one hand and the gun in the other.

Briefly, the gun is characterized by a barrel of appropriate length and of a cross-section to precisely accommodate the shape of the tablet which is contained therein and dispensed rtherefrom. The barrel is such that it constitutes a tongue depressor and Vreaches to a point near the glottis. A plunger is used and is depressed, placing the tablet at the base of the tongue where the pig will swallow the same without too much resistance.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a special table containing and dispensing gun characterized by an open ended barrel having ringer-grips at the inward end of the barrel and provided with a hollow spring contained plunger, said plunger being slida'bly keyed in the barrel and provided with a thumb button, said barrel having opening means and an accompanying neck, which neck is used to suspend a readily attachable and detachable cartridge which containsthe extra supply of tablets.

Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying sheet of illustrative vdrawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 isa side elevational view, with aportion broken away and shown in section, of a special tablet containing and dispensing gun constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, the same being shown with the plunger in its ready-to-use position;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the vertical line 2-2 of- Figurerl looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a cross-section on the line 3--3 of Figure 1, also on an enlarged scale; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view with parts in section and elevation illustrating certain of the structural details and their association and arrangement.

Referringnow to the drawings by reference numerals and accompanying lead lines the barrel is denoted bythe numeral 6 and' this is preferably of general ovate cross-sectional shape. It is Y longitudinally elongated and is of a size in crosssection and length to perform the intended job and tc, in addition, serve as a tongue depressor.,

The barrel is open at its opposite ends and the longitudinal side portions are iiattened to providev linearly straight tablet guides 8. Opening means l0 is provided toward the inner end'of' the barrel and projecting laterally from this is an internally screw-threaded attaching and supporting neck I2. This serves to accommodate the open ended cylinder I4 of the attachable and detachable cartridge. The lower end of the cylinder is also externally screw-threaded as at I6 to accommodate a knurled screw cap I8 provided with a coil spring 20 (see Figure 4) bearing against a suitable follower 22 which presses the reserve tablets 24 into position to be used. Incidentally, one of the tablets is shown in readiness for use in the barrel in Figure 4 and this tablet is denoted by the numeral 26 and it has an annular flat rim portion 28 which registers with and coacts with the nat guides 8.

In practice the manufacturer puts up the tablets in tubes having screw-threaded ends and screw-closing `caps and byremoving the screw caps and attaching one end to the neck I2 in the manner shown in Figure i and applying the cap I 8, spring 20 and follower '22, the tube then becomes a cartridge for supplying tablets to the dispensing barrel. The barrel adjacent the last named end is provided with an upstanding suitably curved linger-'piece 30 and is provided directly therebeneath with another suitably curved complemental Enger-piece 32. These fingerpieces serve to accommodate the index and middle fingers on the hand of thel user.

The `spring return plunger is denoted by the numeral 34 and this comprises a hollow tube of substantially ovate cross-section which corresponds with the cross-section of the barrel. The tube slides in the barrel and one end thereof is closed las at 3'6. The longitudinal edge portions are flattened as at 38-38 (see Fig. 3) and these iit conformingly into the guide portions of the barrel and they are in turn lprovided with elongated slots 40-40. The slots serve to accommodate a fixed assembling and guide pin 42 mounted in the barrel in the manner shown in Figure 4. The coil spring in this arrangement is denoted by the numeral 44 and it is conned in the plunger in the manner shown and its purpose is obviously to cause the plunger to automatically return to. the ready-for-.use position shown in the drawings. Obviously, when the plunger passes over the opening means IU it provides the desired valving action Iand in this Way permits one tablet to be yfed into' the barrel and dispensed, whereupon when the plunger resumes its normal position the next tablet is fed from the'cartridge into the barrel in readiness for the next eperation. The outer end of the plunger is prQvided with a thumb button 46 havles .a recess 48 to :conveniently accommodate the PQrton of the thumb which ,is adapted to coact therewith. K i

In practice the tablet containing tube, which is now put out by the manufacturer is employed as a holding and feeding cartridge for tablets. This is done by attaching the screw-threaded end portion to the screw threads in the neel; I2 in the manner shown in Figure 4. The screw cap at the bottom is removed and the screw cap I 8 is, substituted and this carries the spring 20 and the ejector or follower 22. It is obvious therefore that the reserve tablets are under .a0- ti'on of the spring and are fed eneeby-orle inte the barrel. `From the barrel they .are ejected by the spring returned plunger, in an obvious manner.

lIt is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates will be able to obtain a clear understanding ofthe inventonaiter een sidering the description in connection with the drawings. Therefore, `a more lengthy description is regarded 'as unnecessary.

Minor changes in the shape, size and arrangement of details coming within the eld of inv-ention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, if desired.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new ist 1. For use by veterinarians and others, a tablet dispensing gun comprising a tubular open ended barrel adapted to -be inserted in the mouth of an animal and havin-g the incidental function o a tonguedepressor, said vbarrel bein-g of a crosssectional shape tio unerrin-gly guide and dislodge a tablet which is adapted to be contained therein, finger-gripping means carried by said barrel to hold and pilot the same efcaciously, and a manually manipulable tablet ejecting plunger mounted for reciprocation in said barrel, said plunger having a push button thereon and containing an automatically functioning return spring.

2. For use by veterinarians and others, la tablet dispensing'gun comprising a tubular open ended barrel adapted to be inserted in the mouth of an animal and having the incidental function of a tongue depressor, said 4barrel being of a cross-sectional shape to unerringly guide and dirslodge a tablet which is adapted to be contained therein, lateral nger-grips secured to the inner open end portion of said barrel, a hollow spring containing plungerslidably mounted in said barrel, said plunger being provided on its outer end with a xed thumb-button,- and means slidably keying said plunger in said barrel, said means Icooperating with the spring and causing the plunger to be normally retained in an extended ready-to-operate position.

3. The structure dened in claim 2 wherein said barrel is provided with a hole,y and a selfcontained and self-feeding magazine, said magazine being detachably mountedon said barrel and registering with said hole.

4. For use by veterinarians and others, a tablet dispensing gun comprising a tubular open ended barrel adapted to. be inserted in the mouth of an animal and having the incidental function of a tongue depressor, said barrel being substantially ovate in cross-section and havingrdlametrically opposite flattened side portions defining tablet feeding guides, said barrel being provided at its inward end with laterally projecting fingerpieces, said barrel being provided adjacent said end with opening izneansV having an extending screw-.threaded neck, a cartridge containing tablets detachably secured to said neck and extending at right angles from said barrel, said cartridge embodying a readily attachable and detachable screw cap, a spring carried by the cap and a follower carried by the spring, and plunger means reciprocable in said barrel.

5. For use by veterinarians and others, a tablet dispensing gun comprising a tubular open ended barrel adapted to be inserted in the mouth of an animal and having the incidental function of a tongue depressor, said barrel being substantially Ovate in cross-.Section .and having diametrically opposite `flattened side portions defining tablet feeding guides, said barrel being provided at its inward end with laterally projecting fingerpieces, said barrel being provided adjacent said end with opening means having an extending screw-threaded neck, ,a cartridge containing tablets detaehably secured te said neck and extend- 5 ing at right angles from said barrel, said cartridge REFERENCES CITED embodying a readily att-'aimable and detachable The following references are of record in the screw cap, a spring carried by the cap, a follower me of this patent: carried by the spring, and plunger means reciprocable in said barrel and comprising a hollow 5 FGREIGN PATENTS tube having diametrically opposite keying slots, Number Country Date an assembling and keying pin fixed in said barrel 423,181 Germany Dee. 23, 1925 and extending through said slots, the outer end of said plunger being provided with a, finger button, and a, coil spring contained n said tube 10 and bearing a-t one end against said pin.